Detroit Pistons game broadcasts to move to 105.1 FM

Live radio broadcasts of Detroit Pistons games will move to WMGC 105.1 FM beginning in 2015, a source familiar with the matter told Crain’s this afternoon.

Station owner Greater Media Inc. has scheduled a press conference for 3 p.m. Tuesday for a “major announcement.” It provided no other details.

Pistons games for five years have been on WXYT-FM 97.1 “The Ticket,” owned by CBS Sports Radio Inc.

Deb Kenyon, CBS Radio’s market manager, said not having Pistons play-by-play broadcasts frees up the broadcaster’s stations for flexibility.

“We did look into it. But after really looking at what they wanted and what we wanted, it didn’t make sense for our (station) cluster,” she told Crain’s this afternoon.

Because of overlapping schedules, a significant number of Pistons games ended up on CBS Radio-owned WWJ 950 AM.

WMGC last year changed formats to sports talk from adult contemporary music.

WXYT has dominated local radio ratings largely because it has the rights to air live all four of Detroit’s professional sports teams’ games. The radio contracts for the Detroit Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons all expire in 2015.

Getting the Pistons’ rights allows WMGC to chip away at its rival.

Currently, WMGC has six hours of local content.

Drew Lane, formerly of the “Drew & Mike” morning show that was on Greater Media-owned WRIF 101.1 FM for two decades, is WMGC’s flagship local personality. He hosts an afternoon drive-time talk show.

The other locally produced content is Matt Dery’s noon-3 p.m. sports talk show. The remainder of air time is filled with syndicated ESPN content.

A message was left for Heidi Raphael, Greater Media’s vice president of corporate communication.

Greater Media, whose local stations and offices are in Ferndale, also owns classic rock station WCSX 94.7 FM.